Easton Cowan of the Toronto Maple Leafs drives Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning in an attempt to make a big impact in the AHL playoffs

Easton Cowan gets inspiration from watching Brandon Hagel bring the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“He’s playing fake,” the Toronto Marlies winger said. “He plays hard and helps their team win.

Cowan looks to the 6-foot-2, 186-pound Hagel as a role model as he charts his own path in professional hockey.

“I’ve always watched him play, obviously, but when you play with him, you see how good he is,” said Cowan, who is 6-foot, 190 pounds.

The 20-year-old faced the Lightning twice during his impressive rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, including one game in March in which Hagel had a goal and an assist. But Hagel, who represented Canada at the Olympics in February, is on another level now. The Lightning winger leads the Stanley Cup playoffs with six goals in four games against the Montreal Canadiens.

“He’s a rat, but he plays hard,” Cowan said. “He’s able to make plays everywhere and he’s used in every situation and he takes advantage of his opportunities. It’s really fun to watch.”

Hagel scored two goals, including the game-winner, on Sunday as the Lightning rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Canadiens and even their first-round series with a Game 5 set for Wednesday night in Tampa.

Cowan isn’t just looking at Hagel. He studies Hagel’s game.

“That’s what he wants to emulate,” Marlies coach John Gruden said. “If I show him [mistakes] he’s like, ‘Well, that’s not like Brandon Hagel,’ so you understand. He is a brilliant hockey player. He is a talented and passionate hockey player [big] times.”

The Leafs stumbled to the finish line with an eight-game losing streak, but Cowan finished with seven points in those games while riding high alongside John Tavares and William Nylander.

After completing his 66-game, 29-point season in the NHL, Cowan accepted the opportunity to travel to the American Hockey League for the Calder Cup playoffs. He was expected to play a key role for the Marlies, but the Mount Brydges, Ont. failed to make much in the opening round.

Cowan produced two assists in three games — each coming on the power play — in Toronto’s win over the Rochester Americans.

“I feel like I could be more physical in ways and obviously make better plays and be smarter with the puck,” Cowan admitted shortly after practicing on the Marlies’ second line alongside Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg.

The Marlies will now face the first-place Laval Rocket, Montreal’s affiliate, in the best-of-five North Division series, which opens Wednesday in Quebec.

“I’m glad we’ve been successful and progressed,” said Cowan. “I can be better, I know that.”

Cowan was one of four Marlies to finish the series against Rochester as a shutout.

“He understands there are some things he can improve on,” Gruden said. “But we also have to be patient with him and understand that he played a lot of hockey.

Cowan already has some clutch details. He led the London Knights to back-to-back Ontario Hockey League titles and last year was named the MVP of the Memorial Cup as London won the Canadian Hockey League championship.

Cowan has played high-level hockey, including two appearances with Team Canada at the World Juniors, but the AHL is a different beast. And Cowan played in just four games with the Marlies during the regular season.

“Sometimes that adjustment is very difficult because the league is different,” Marlies defenseman Dakota Mermis said. “It’s probably more physical in many ways so there’s always time to adjust.”

Based on Tuesday’s practice, Cowan’s comfort level is increasing. He caught the gritty Marlies winner Michael Pezzetta on a reverse try.

“I told him not to do that again,” Pezzetta said with a laugh. “He’s putting a boom. I think that’s a great tool in his toolbox and it’s going to help him down the road.”

Cowan felt good training on Tuesday.

“I just have to fix that,” he said. “I know I can get better and I will get better [be].”

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After serving as the backup to Artur Akhtyamov in the first two games of the playoffs, Dennis Hildeby stopped 29 of 31 shots in a decisive Game 3 against Rochester on Sunday.

Hildeby will start Wednesday in Laval.

“He deserves it,” Gruden said. “He came and played in an admirable way.”

Hildeby’s 6-foot-7, 222-pound frame should allow the Swede to handle the tough style of play the Rockets employ.

“He’s a good fit,” Gruden said of the game. “They’ve got a couple of lines that like to go forward to the net. They’re going to be a little closer to him. We’ve got to make sure we can keep them away from Dennis, get them out early, but also stay away from scrums because they’re going to try to get us into, I’m sure, some penalties. We’re going to have to work that out and I think we did a good job at the end.”

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The rivalry between the Leafs and Canadiens is fierce in the NHL and the same is true between the Marlies and Rockets in the AHL.

“Two proud organizations and when the teams go out there, it seems like the intensity increases a little bit and now, under the circumstances of the playoffs, it will increase even more,” Gruden said.

The Marlies have won five of eight games against the Rockets this year, including the final two games of the regular season in Toronto.

“It’s going to be a battle out there,” predicted Pezzetta, who spent seven seasons with the Canadiens organization before signing with the Leafs last summer. “I think that’s the best kind of hockey.”

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While the Marlies playoff run continues, MLSE continues to search for a new head of hockey. Former Leafs captain, Mats Sundin, is reportedly in the running to play a leading role.

“He was my favorite player growing up,” said Pezzetta, who is from Toronto. “I used to wear 13 my whole career, that was because of him. So, for me, he’s very excited that maybe you’ll meet him one day. I think in the organization he’s an important player. His banner is up high. It’s really exciting for Leafs Nation.”

“It’s always special that a legend like that comes back to help,” said Hildeby. “It’s definitely going to be special.”

It is reported that John Chayka is one of the contenders for the position of head of hockey for the team. He served as the general manager of the Arizona Coyotes from 2016 to 2020.

Mermis entered the NHL with the Coyotes in the 2017-18 season.

“I was just starting my career and he was very young at the time,” recalls Mermis. “He knows about math, numbers, he knows his history with the company he founded (Stathletes) and math in sports, and he’s obviously very good with numbers and he can analyze those numbers. I enjoyed working with him at that time … It would be great if he wakes up.”

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Defenseman Matt Benning missed Game 3 against Rochester and did not participate in Tuesday’s practice.

“He’s still out with a physical injury for a while,” Gruden said. “They’re going to check it again and hopefully we’ll get him back. If not, it’s next man up.”

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Leafs lineups for Tuesday’s practice:

Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri

Cowan – Quillan – Tverberg

Pare – Haymes – Nylander

Pezzetta – Johnstone – Johnson

Baddock, Sim, Valis

Rifai – Thrun

Mermis – Villeneuve

Chadwick – Sharpe

Prokop, Smith

Hildeby

Akhtyamov